NIH says 2.6% of Americans have a food allergy

An NIH study indicates that about 2.6% of Americans -- or about 7.6 million people -- have allergic reactions to food, with children ages 1 to 5 having the highest rates and adults older than 60 having the lowest rates for food allergies. The study also showed that asthmatics with a food allergy were nearly seven times more likely to experience a severe asthma attack compared with those without a food allergy.